Saint Petersburg Conservatory, St. Petersburg

Saint Petersburg Conservatory, St. Petersburg

The Saint Petersburg State Conservatory is one of the oldest and most revered schools of music in Russia. It was founded in 1862 by the Russian pianist and composer Anton Rubinstein who ran the institution on and off until 1891 and was largely responsible for setting up its high teaching standards – stringent entrance and examination requirements, established the curriculum, appointed professors, etc.

The school is particularly famous for its alumni, among whom over the past 150 years have been likes of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Prokofiev, George Balanchine, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Dmitri Shostakovich. The latter also taught at the conservatory during the 1960s, bringing it additional fame.

As the city changed its name in the 20th century, so did the conservatory – consecutively renamed Petrograd Conservatory and then Leningrad Conservatory. As of 1944, the conservatory has borne the name of the Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov who had served here as a professor for almost 40 years from 1871. His bronze monument is located outside the building in Theatre Square.

The building itself was erected in the 1890s on the site of the old Bolshoi Theatre of Saint Petersburg, and it still contains the grand staircase and landing from the old theater.

Today the conservatory offers training in performance, pedagogical methods, composition, history of Russian and Western music conducting, musicology, music teaching, the art of the choreographer, and other subjects. Many professional and established artists teach courses.

Over 1,500 international students comprise the student body. Students must pass a Russian language exam prior to admission. A 10-month preparatory course is available for foreign students who need to learn the Russian language. The course also teaches other elements they will need to succeed during their course of study.

The school regularly hosts festivals, music concerts, and recitals that the students and visitors can equally attend and enjoy.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.

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Saint Petersburg Conservatory on Map

Sight Name: Saint Petersburg Conservatory
Sight Location: St. Petersburg, Russia (See walking tours in St. Petersburg)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark

Walking Tours in St. Petersburg, Russia

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